Name: Romeo and Juliet Week 1 William Shakespeare Day One- Five- Introduction to William Shakespeare Activity 2: Shakespeare in the Classroom (Day 4/5) Watch the video from the actors in Shakespeare in Love and answer the following questions: 1. List 5 facts we know for sure about William Shakespeare a. b. c. d. e. 2. Where do these facts come from? 3.Why is it important to know the sources of these facts? 4. What are the reasons for Shakespeare s appeal while he lived and even today?
5. List 3 facts about the conditions for spectators within the theaters. 6. Name 2 diseases associated with the theaters (Why were the city officials always looking for reasons to shut them down?) 7. What do these facts and diseases tell us about how playwrights/actors were viewed during their time? 8.What were 3 elements of successful plays during Shakespeare s time? 9. Explain the rehearsal and performance timelines for typical plays.
10. How might rehearsal time impact the actors and the audience? 11. Who is Elizabeth I and why is she important? 12. How might Elizabeth I and her views indirectly have encouraged Shakespeare? 13. Why is Romeo and Juliet different than other plays? (think tragedy and comedy) 14. How can this information help us as we read Romeo and Juliet?
Activity 2: Text predictions (5 pts) Using the poster hanging in the classroom, answer the following questions 1. What observations do you have about the poster? 2. What words come to mind when you view the poster? 3. What inferences can we make about the novel? Observation/Word Inference
Watching the 2009 Globe production Using the stage production to answer the following questions: Day 1: Watching characters 1. What observations do you have about the set? 2. In Shakespeare s time, they didn t have sets either. What might this imply about Shakespeare s use of words and language? Why are they especially important? 3. It is difficult to understand what the servants are saying. What clues can we use from the actors to help us understand? 4. What can we decipher about the relationship between the Capulets and the Montagues? 5. The Prince threatens to kill anyone who fights in the streets again. Do you think his threat will be successful in stopping the fighting?
6. Romeo shows that he is troubled and stressed out by moving all across the stage, speaking, quickly, and using many hand gestures. How can watching the actors give us clues about the characters are feeling? 7. How does the actor portray Paris (all white suit)? What can you infer about Paris s personality? Observation Inference 8. What can we infer about the Nurse based on how the other characters react to her? 9. Juliet s mother brings a serious issue to Juliet. How can you tell Mrs. Capulet is nervous about telling Juliet she is getting married? Clue: Look at her face and how she speaks. 10. What can we infer about Mercutio (yellow and black vest) from his actions on stage?
11. The set does not change and yet we know that a party is occurring. How can we tell? List at least 3 ways? 12. Tybalt is upset that Romeo, and enemy is at the party. What can we infer about his personality based on this reaction? How might this be important later in the play? Personality: Inference: 13. What can we infer about Romeo and Juliet s feelings toward each other? Observation Inference
14. The servants have changed roles to be narrators. What clues do they give us to show that they are no longer servants? 15. How do we know Benvolio and Mercutio are making fun of Romeo? 16. The Globe was designed in a round format. Why effects might this have on the audience and their understanding? Reflection: (3 points) It has been said that Shakespeare is very difficult for actors to perform. Do you agree or disagree; why or why not?
Day 2: Reading between the Lines: Uncovering Meaning (Start 42min) 17. Juliet thinks she is alone while standing on the balcony. What signs show us this? 18. Juliet s speech on the balcony is known as a soliloquy, meaning she speaks to the audience only. Why information can this type of speech provide to the audience? 19. What do the actors do that suggest the quick, and perhaps impetuous, nature of Romeo and Juliet s love? 20. How is Romeo s love different than the one at the beginning of the play yesterday? (Hint: How is the actor different in this scene than in his first scene yesterday)
21. The balcony scene is the most iconic scene from the play. Why do you think this is? 22. This music is important for many reasons. #1 it suggests a scene change, #2 It shows actors as narrators, but #3 it suggests something about Romeo and Juliet s relationship. What does the soft, moving, and sweet music imply about their relationship? 23. We are now introduced to Friar Lawrence, who is one of the most important characters in the play. What observations do you have about him? 24. How is Mercutio different in this scene? What does this suggest about the seriousness of Tybalt s letter? Differences: Suggestions about situation:
25. Romeo is also different in this scene. How so and what does this tell us about his problems and his intentions toward Juliet? Differences: Suggestions about his intentions: 26. We also see a different Juliet than we have seen earlier in the play. How is she different? What does this suggest about her personality? Differences: Suggestions about her personality: 27. Before marrying Romeo and Juliet, Friar Lawrence has a serious nature, which is the opposite of what you would expect. What does this suggest about how he feels about the marriage? 28. What makes Friar Lawrence change his opinion?
29. Here the mood of the play shifts. What does it shift to? (3 pts) Prior Mood of the Play New Mood of the Play Evidence of the Shift Reflection: (3 points) How is watching a play different than seeing a movie: how is your understanding different? Day 3: Comedy and Tragedy (Start 1 hr. 18 min) 30. This is the first time in the play where we see real tragedy. What is the first tragedy today? 31. How does Shakespeare make this tragedy humorous?
32. Why is Romeo s attitude so quickly changed? Does this reaction make sense to you? Explain your answer. 33. How does Romeo s reaction create another tragedy? 34. What could be the additional tragedies created as a result? 35. Mercutio is related to the Prince, which is perhaps why he lets Romeo live. How do we know the Prince has no sympathy for Tybalt s family? 36. Juliet is unaware at first of her cousin s death. Describe her reactions as she hears the news. (4 pts) Beginning of the scene When she first hears of the death
When she find out Romeo killed Tybalt When the nurse suggests that Romeo should be shamed 37. Romeo has a strange reaction to his banishment. Why is his reaction strange, BUT why does it make sense that he feels this way? Why it is strange: Why it makes sense: 38. Why does the Friar condemn Romeo for wanting to die? 39. What is the plan for Romeo and Juliet to be together? 40. Friar Lawrence develops a plan to solve the problem. What does this suggest about Friar Lawrence s role in the play? Clue: What is his purpose in relation to Romeo and Juliet?
41. What is the new tragedy introduced in this scene? Why is this a tragedy? 42. How does Shakespeare add comedy here? 43. How does the dialogue between Romeo and Juliet add a break in tragedy, but also a different kind of sadness? 44. It is tragic that Juliet must marry Paris, but there is a more tragic element for Juliet betrayal. How does each of the characters she loves, betray her? (3 pts) Lord Capulet Lady Capulet The Nurse
45. Juliet is so upset that she resolves to kill herself. At that time, when a woman was disowned, she had no money, no skills for a job, and most likely would not even know how to survive. How does knowing this help you understand her reaction? 46. Why does this seem more sensible than Romeo s reaction to his banishment? 47. The play often switches between love and comedy and anger and tragedy. Does this shift feel authentic or inauthentic? Explain your answer. Day 4: Themes (Start 2 hr 05 min) 48. Romeo and Juliet is famous for being the first play to include both comedy and tragedy. List 3 moments of each: (3pts) Comedy Tragedy
49. Do you enjoy that the play contains both elements or would you rather it just had one? Explain your answer. 50. Friar Lawrence symbolizes wisdom. All the characters go to him for advice and solutions. Friar Lawrence is a representative of the church. What could Shakespeare be saying about the role of the church and its importance in society? 51. During Shakespeare s time there was a war between the Catholic Church and the Church of England. Why might using a Friar, a leader in the Catholic Church, in the play be important for Shakespeare s audience? 52. Juliet s parents are upset that she has passed. Why is this an example of situational irony? 53. What are they really upset about? Hint: It s not necessarily that she has died. Lord Capulet says Death is my son-in-law; death is my heir
54. What might this suggest about the roles of women during Shakespeare s time. 55. What do you think Shakespeare is trying to say about the roles of women? Shakespeare s Message Evidence from the Play 56. Romeo and Juliet both react quickly to the death of their loved ones and the end result is tragedy. Does Shakespeare have a message in this? If so, what is it, if not, why not? 57. Look at Paris s vow to stay by Juliet s grave every night and compare it to Romeo s declarations of love. How do both men show their love for Juliet? Paris Romeo
58. Using the table above, how do you think Shakespeare would define love? What does it look like? 59. Listen to the Prince s final monologue to the families. What is Shakespeare trying to say about hatred and jealousy? (2 pts) Shakespeare s Message Evidence from the Play Reflection: (3 points) Why did I decide to show you the whole play before we read it? How do you think this will be helpful as we read?
Elements of Drama 1. A drama, or play, is a literary work told in dialogue. Like novels and short stories, a drama has a setting, characters, and a theme. The chief difference between a drama and other works of fiction is that a drama is meant to be performed in front of an audience. 2. The written version of a drama is called a script, and the author is called a playwright. 3. Acts are the major divisions in a dramatic work. Scenes are smaller divisions within an act. Either time or place, or both, may change with each act or scene. 4. A cast of characters is a list that tells who is in the play. The list may also describe the characters. 5. The chorus is a group of actors who speak together with one vice and describe and comment on the main action of the play. 6. Dialogue is the conversation among characters in a play. Speech tags indicate the speaker, and stage directions indicate any action the speaker is to perform. 7. Dramatic devices are tools a dramatist may use to add interest to the play. In a monologue or a soliloquy, a character speaks when alone on the stage or apart from any other actors. An aside is a remark not intended to be heard by other characters.
Romeo and Juliet Vocabulary adversary an enemy, opponent banishment exile; the state of being banished or ostracized (excluded from society by general consent) boisterous noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline dexterity mental skill or quickness idolatry excessive or blind adoration; worship of an object lament a cry of sorrow and grief nuptial related to marriage peruse To read thoroughly and carefully reconcile make compatible with; make up shroud burial garment in which a corpse is wrapped analogy drawing a comparison in order to show a similarity in some respect blank verse poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter couplet two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme diction word choice dramatic irony when a reader is aware of something that a character isn't dramatic structure the structure of a play
epithet descriptive name figurative language writing or speech that is not meant to be taken literally foil a character who sets off another character by contrast iambic meter unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable iambic pentameter a poetic meter that is made up of 5 stressed syllables each followed by an unstressed syllable